Vibratory article washer



@- 13g E966 o. G. HAMM VIBRATORY ARTICLE WASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 24, 1965 Dec., 13, w66 o. G. HAMM VIBRATORY ARTICLE WASHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1965 United States Patent O 3,291,458 VIBRATORY ARTICLE WASHER Opal G. Hamm, Center Square, Pa., assignor to Hedot Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 434,920 7 Claims. (Cl. 259-72) The present invention relates to washers for small articles, such as dentures, inlays, plates and orthodontic appliances, pieces of jewelry, etc.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improvement of a vibratory small article washer which is self-contained and operable by battery means or dry cells, and which is constructed in the form of a plurality of sub-assemblies that are easily assemb-le-d in an eicient and simple manner Within a main unitary housing casing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device in which a battery compartment is demountably supported within the housing casing and carries in addition to the battery power source eicient switch means readily operable by lateral depressible panels that may serve as the 4top cover of the battery compartment as well as a cover for a section of the topof the main housing casing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structural embodiment of the device which may be readily constructed and which will permit eicient use and operation thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in por-t be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference sho-uld be had to the following detailed descri-ption taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the small article washer of the present invention, with the cover of the washing tank closed;

FIG. 2 is -a substantially `full scale longitudinal section of the device shown in FIG. 1, with parts broken away, in-dicated by dotted lines the removal of the washing tank from the nesting tray' in which it seats to perform the washing function;

FIG. 3 is a substantially full scale transverse section, with parts broken away, of the device depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the switch for the motor power supply circuit in closed pos-ition;

FIG. 4 is `a sectional detail taken substantially on line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevational detail, with parts broken away, showing the switch for the motor power supply circuit in open position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view to smaller scale of the device shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, showing `the cover open and a denture unit immersed in a washing bath therein as readied for the Washing operation; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic wiring diagram of the vibrating motor, its battery power source and the control switch mechanism embodied therein.

As will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description here following an embodiment of the vibratory article washer of the present invention comprises an open top casing having a transverse bottom and an encompassing sidewall with a tray supported in the casing by supporting spring means for vibration therein. The tray also has 3,291,458 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 an encompassing sidewall defining a nesting cavity for a washing tank which is removably nested therein for vibration with the tray. This washer includes a batteryoperated DiC. motor mounted in the casing and having a rotor shaft carrying an arrn extending from one side thereof and xed thereon for rapid rotation thereby in a position adjacent a portion of the tray sidewall for vibrating the tray and washing tank nested therein, this vibration being effected in part, if desired, by striking repeated blows against the tray sidewall. A battery compartment is also mounted in the casing and it has housed `therein a battery source of power for the motor with an electrical power-supply circuit within the casing connected between the motor and the battery source of power. A switch is provided in this power-supply circuit which has depressible operating means exposed at the top of the casing laterally of the tray for manual engagement selectively to close and open the motor power-supply circuit.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals identify similar parts throughout, it will be seen that the open top casing 10 preferably is in the form of a rectangular bin having a transverse bottom wall 11, similar opposed sidewalls 12, and opposed end walls 13` and 14. The bottom wall 11 is suitably equipped with a plurality of feet or rubber pads 15 for resting the device upon a lateral surface, such as a bathroom or kitchen sink deck, to avoid undue walking of the device during vibration and to eliminate any tendency to mar the deck surface. The opposed sidewalls 12 and the end walls 13 and 14 together dene an encompassing sidewall. This encompassing sidewall and the bottom wall 11 together define within the casing a housing chamber 16. The casing 10 may be made from any durable and noncorrosive material and can be readily molded from a suitable plastic, such as a relatively rigid polyethylene, a styrene, etc.

The casing bottom wall 11 preferably is provided in the molding of the casing 10 with a relatively lange, rectangular, raised platform 17 on which are supported at its four corners four tapered posts 18, two of which are shown in FIG. 2. This platform 17 may be formed by molding a recess in the underside of the bott-om wall 11.

A vibratory tray 19, which is also preferably rectangular in shape, has an encompassing sidewall defined by opposed sloping end walls 20 and 120 and opposed sloping sidewalls 21 to define with a transverse bottom wall 22 a tapered nesting cavity 23. The four corners of the rectangular bottom Wall 22 of the vibratory tray 19 are each equipped with an inverted cup 24 having concentrically located therein a centering post 25, two of these being shown in FIG. 2. The casing posts 18 are substantially aligned with the tray posts 25 and each of the paired opposed posts 18 and 25 are received in opposite ends of a resilient helix or coiled compression spring 26. The inverted cups 24 house the top ends of the springs 26. Thus, the tray 19 is removably supported by resilient means within the casing chamber 16 and the resilient support thereof permits the desired vibratory motion of the tray.

A battery-operated D.C. motor 27 is mounted within the casing chamber 16 and preferably is carried by a U- shaped bracket or holder 28 fxedly mounted to one of the tray end walls, such as as will be seen in FIG. 2, although this motor may be supported on a portion of the encompassing sidewall of the casing l0. A vertical rib 29 on the tray end wall 120, preferably molded integral therewith when this tray is likewise molded from suitab-le plastic, provides a strike member 4against which a suitable vibrating hammer means repeatedly may strike in the washing operation of t-he device. The motor 27 has its rotor equipped with a vertical rotary shaft 30 which may carry, fixed thereto, a lateral arm which may be in the form `of an eccentric rotary cam 31 that may serve as such vibrating hammer. As will be seen in the diagrammatic showing of FIG. 7 the rotary eccentric cam 31 may be in the form of a circular disk and due to its olf-center mounting Iprovides an extended lateral arm or -lobe 131.

Limited flexibility of the mount of the motor 27 within the U-shaped bracket 28 is assured by the provision of an intervening resilient layer or blanket 32, which may be a strip of sponge material. This limited resilient mount of the motor 27 permits self-adjustment of the contact between the lobe 131 of the eccentric vibrating cam 31 and the strike rib 29. While it may be preferred to have the eccentric cam 31 strike repeated hammer blows against the tray strike rib 29 in rotation of the motor shaft 30, it has been found that the tray will be vibrated by operation of the motor even though there is no cont-act between the eccentric cam and the strike rib during the cam rotation. This non-contact vibration is developed by virtue of the fact that the motor is xedly mounted to a portion of the tray sidewall and the cam lobs 131 serves as a lateral arm extending from one side of and fixed to the motor shaft to act as an unbalancing weight for causing the whole -assembly to vibrate in rotation of this eccentric mass. Thus, -in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the tray is vibrated both by the repeated hammering of the rotated eccentric cam lobe 131 against the strike rib 29 and also by the elects of such an eccentric mass rotated by the motor shaft 30.

A washing tank 33 is provided which is shaped complementary to the tray cavity 23 for nesting therein while being readily removable therefrom, and this tray may also be molded from suitable plastic, such as polyethylene, which is not subject to destructive attack by detergent material which may be dissolved in a water bath or pool in the tank. The top of the tank 33 is equipped with a 'lateral ange structure 34 which overhangs side edges of the open top of the casing 10, and, as is shown in the drawings, this lateral ange may be provided at its terminal edge along the sides with a depending lip 35. The lateral flange 34 and its depending lip 35 are free from contact with any of the structure of the casing to permit free vibration of the tank 33 relative to the casing. The lateral iiange 34 is provided with a raised transverse back section 36 which is disposed -above and covers the space of the housing chamber 16 in which the vibrating motor 27 is mounted. As will be understood from FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6, a rectangular cover 37 is pivotally mounted to the raised transverse section 36 of the surrounding tank top flange 34 by suitable hinge structures 38. The hinge cover 37 is also equipped with a latch linger 39 which will snap down over an anchoring latch hook 40 provided on the transverse front section of the tank top lateral iiange 34, as will be Ibest understood from FIG. 2.

A battery compartment 41 is suitably mounted in the casing chamber 16, preferably in the end opposite to that in which the vibrating motor 27 is mounted. The battery compartment 41 may be in the form of .an inverted cup of rectangular cross-section to receive therein a pair of dry cells of D size. The inverted battery compartment cup 41 has a transverse top wal142 which supports a pair of transversely-spaced, electrically-conducting or brass contact strips 43 extending across the inverted cup compartment with each adapted to make contact with the transverse bottom of the container electrode of one of the two dry cells 44, as will be seen in FIG. 2. Each contact strip 43 extends back `from a transverse conducting plate 45 through a slot 143 in the front cup sidewall, and each plate also carries a fixed switch contact strip 46 lapped up over the crosswall 42, as will be understood from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

The bottom wall 11 of the casing 10 preferably is provided with an access opening beneath the battery-housing, inverted cup compartment 41, which is closed by a suitable slide door 47 having anchor tabs 48 on opposite sides to engage above a notched rib 49 flanking each side of the battery access opening. A snap clip 50, carried by the door 47, engages beyond the outside face 51 of the recess which defines the raised platform 17. The access door 47 supports a transverse strip 52 of a C-shaped, electrically-conductive or brass, contact member provided with a pair of substantially parallel and transverselyspaced contact spring legs 53. Each of the contact spring legs 53 preferably is bowed'and disposed beneath the central battery contact button electrode 54 of one of the inverted dry cells 44. Thus, the central contact electrodes 54 of the inverted dry cells 44 are connected in parallel bythe contact legs 53 and the transverse strip 52, which in turn is connected by a conductor 5S to one brush of the commutator of the conventiona-l battery-powered D.C. motor 27.

As is explained hereinafter the battery compartment cup 41 carries the circuit switch and its operating means as a sub-assembly which is 'removably insertable down through the open top of the casing 10 into its chamber 16 for demountable attachment to its front end wall 14. Consequently, it is not essential that an opening be provided in the bottom wa'll 11 of the casing 10 and closed by the openable door 47. In the absence of the access door 47 the washing tank 33 may be removed and the battery compartment 41 rested upon a supporting surface in a position inverted from that shown in FIG. 2, so that the casing 10 when inverted thereover can be caused to receive the battery compartment 41 until the central electrode buttons 54 of the pair of batteries 44 bear against the bowed spring contacts 531. Turning of the inverted container 10 back to its upright position of FIG. 2 will then place the battery housing compartment 41 in the inverted position there shown with the batteries securely clamped between the contact springs 43 and 53. Manipulatable clips may also be provided on the bottom edges of the open bottom of the inverted compartiment cup 41 to hold the batteries within the cup during such inversion procedure.

The transverse top wall 42 of the inverted compartment cup 41 carries an upstanding transverse flange 56 on which is pivotally supported by a transverse pivot shaft 57 a pair of switch operating panels 58 and 59, as will be understood from FIGS. 2 and 3. The switch-operating panels 58 and 59 together provide a cover for the battery housing compartment 41 and the switch mechanism supported thereon, and serve together to close a section of the top of the casing 10. The tank flange 34 has a transverse lateral front section 60 which overlaps and is spaced upwardly from the pivoted back edges of the switch operating panels 58 and 59, so that the tank cover and these switch operating panels together cover over the top of the casing 10, as will be seen from FIGS. l and 2.

As will be understood from FIGS. 3 and 5 an upwardlybowed, transversely-extending, electrically-conductive strip 61 of brass or the like has portions overlying the fixed switch contact strips 46 so as when centrally depressed to bridge the latter together and connect them simultaneously by conductor 62 to the other commutator brush of the motor 27. The movable switch contact bridging strip 61 is ldepressed to contact of the Xed switch contact strips 46 by a pivoted operating cam 63 supported by a bracket 64 carried by the transverse crosswall 42 of the compartment 41. It will be seen that the juxtaposed inside edges of the pivoted switch operating panels 58 and 59 carry on their undersides depending fingers 65 and 66. When the left side panel 58 is depressed it causes its depending finger 66 to push down the left end of the switch operating cam 63 to turn it counterclockwise and depress the movable switch bridging strip 61 to contact of the pair of separated switch fixed contacts 46, as shown in FIG. 3. When the right side panel 59 is depressed it causes its finger 66 to engage the right end of the switch operating cam 63 and. turn the latter back clockwise to the position indicated in FIG. 5 for freeing the movable switch bridging contact 61, Iso that the resiliency of the latter will cause its central section to spring upwardly away lfrom contact with the pair of spaced lixed switch conta-cts 46.

The top crosswall 42 of the battery compartment 41 carries a pair of transversely-spaced, upstanding pins 67 and each of the pivoted panels 58 and 59 carries on it-s underside a pin 68 with these panel pins substantially aligned with the crosswall pins. Each pair of opposed pins 67 and 68 has mounted therebetween a helical compression spring 69 to tend to urge the panels 58 and 59 upwardly from their alternately depressed positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to their raised positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

While a variety of :suitable means may -be employed detachably to mount the battery housing compartment 41 within the casing chamber 16 the embodiment of the small article washer of the present invention Ishown in the drawings utilizes a simple bayonet joint. As will be -seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and. 4 the inner face of the casing front end wall 14 is provided with an elongated tapered vertical key 70 having undercut side edges to define laterally `spaced and transversely extending edge tins 71. Juxtaposed wall 72 of the battery housing compartment 41 is provided with an elongated tapered slot 73 which liares downwardly complementary to the root of lthe key 70 which is wider at its bottom end and, in transverse section, is shaped complementary to this key, as is best seen in FIG. 4. Thus, when the washing tank 33 has been removed from its nesting tray 19 the battery housing compartment 41 may be inserted in the inverted position within the casing -chamber 16 adjacent the end wall 14 lof the latter with the key 70 engaged in the slot 73 of the compartment wall 72, eventually to be jammed thereinto when the compartment 41 is lforced down as far as it will go, detachably to secure the battery housing compartment, the circuit switch and the switch operating panels as a sub-assembly within casing chamber 16.

In operation of the embodiment of the washer of the present invention the operator may suitably load a pair of dry cells 44 into the battery housing compartment 41, and lift the washing tank 33 out of the tray 19, such action being indicated in dotted lines :at 74 in FIG. 2. Suitable cleansing material or detergent is added to a quantity of water and this is poured into the washing tank 33 to form the washing pool 75 therein, as is indicated in FIG. 6. Any article to be cleaned, such `as the denture unit pictorially represented at 76 in FIG. 6, is immersed in the bath 75 and the tank cover 37 is then swung down from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the closed position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 4and 3. The washin-g tank 33 is then nested into the tray cavity 23. Obviously the washing tank 33 need not be dis-assembled from or lifted out of the vibratory tray 33 in the loading of the washing tank, as is indicated in FIG. 6, if the batteries have been previously loaded into the compartment 41 and the latter detachably mounted within the casing chamber 16 as is indicated in FIG. 2, but it is desirable that the washing tank be removable lfrom the tray for thorough cleaning after a washing operation. The operator will then depress the left side panel 58, which constitute-s the ON, manually-engageable switch operating member to cause its depending iin-ger 66 to pivot the switch cam 63 to the circuit-closing position shown in FIG. 3. This yswing or rock of the switch operating cam 63 depresses or pushes movable switch contact bridge 61 from its upward switch-open position vdown to simultaneous contact with the spaced tixed switch contacts 46 to close the circuit between the batteries 44 and the motor 27. As the rotor of the motor 27 drives its shaft 30 to rotate therewith the eccentric disk cam 31 fixed thereon its lobe 131 of greatest radial dimension repeatedly strikes the strike rib 29 of the tray 19, -so as to vibrate the latter -botli by virtue of this repeated hammering `and the vibration developed by the out-of-balance motor rotor and cam sub-assembly. As a result, the cleaning bath 75 is agitated, to develop currents therein which forcefully flow about the denture unit 76 as it is likewise agitated in resting upon the bottom of the wa-shing tank 33, thoroughly to clean the denture unit. Release of the ON panel 58 permits its biasing spring 69 to lift it -to its initial elevation in the plane of the OFF panel 59 while the switch-closing position of cam 63 is maintained. When the operator wishes to terminate this washing operation he then depresses the right side OFF panel 59 to cause its depending linger 66 to pivot the switch cam 63 back to the circuit-open position shown in FIG. 5, to permit the central section of switch contact bridge 61 to rise so as to locate it in its open position. As has been previously indicated other small articles, such as articles of jewelry, may be effectively cleaned in the device of the present invention in a similar manner.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are eiiiciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and Vdesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a small article washer the combination with an open top casing having a transverse bottom and an encompassing sidewall, and a tray supported in said casing by supporting sprin-g means for vibration therein with said tray having an encompassing sidewall delining a nesting cavity; of

(a) an electric lmotor mounted in lsaid casing and having a rotor shaft,

(b) an arm extending from one side of and fixed on said shaft for rotation by the latter adjacent a portion of the tray sidewall for vibrating said tray,

(c) a washing tank removably nested in said tray for vibration with the latter,

(d) a battery compartment in said. casing housing a battery source of power for said motor,

(e) an electrical power-supply circuit connected between said motor and said battery source of power, and

(f) a switch in lsaid circuit having depressible operating means exposed at the top of said casing laterally of said tray for manual engagement.

2. The washer as delined in claim 1 in which said tray is removably mounted. in said casing and means are provided which supports said motor on said tray.

3. The washer as defined in claim 1 in which said tank has an openable lateral top cover offset transversely from said lswitch operating means for exposure of the latter to manual engagement.

4. The wa-sher as defined in claim 3 in which said top cover has an edge spaced appreciably from said casing sidewall to deline an intervening gap over said battery compartment with .said switch operating means comprising a pair of alternately depressible on and off panels substantially iilling this gap and together providing `a cover for said compartment.

5. The washer as defined in claim 4 in which said switch includes a transversely-extending movable contact biased upwardly to open position, and said, switch operating means includes a rockable cam member alternately to be swung in opposite directions by alternate depression of said on and off panels to depress said movable contact to switch closing position when said'cam member is rocked to one position by depression of said on panel and to effect raising of said. movable contact to its open position when said cam member is rocked to another position by depression of said olf panel.

6. The washer as dened in claim 5 in which means are provided that removably support said battery compartment in said casing and vadditional means lmounting said switch, its operating means and said on and off panels on said compartment to cause said switch, its operating means and these panels to constitute with said compartment a unitary sub-assembly removable `from and mountable in said casing as a unit.

7. In a small article washer equipped with a vibratory washing tank and a battery-operated D.C. motor to vibrate this tank, the combination of (a) a casing housing the tank and motor,

(b) a battery compartment mounted in said casing for housing a battery source of power,

(c) an electrical power-supply circuit connected within said casing between the motor and. said compartment,

(d) a normally open switch in said circuit having a movable contact to be pushed from its open position to a switch-closing position,

8 l (e) a rockable switch-operating cam mounted in said compartment to be rocked in one direction to push said contact to its switch-closing position and to be rocked in the opposite direction to cause said contact to be located in its open position, and (f) a pair of lateral, manually-engageable and. altermately-depressible panels together closing a section of said casing and covering said compartment with one of said panels being adapted upon being depressed to rock said switch-operating cam to its switch-closing position and the other panel being adapted upon ybeing depressed to rock this cam back to its switch-open position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,284,671 6/ 1942 Meinzer.

2,384,898 9/l945 Dietert 134--117 X 2,757,908 8/1956 Broadwin 259-72 3,241,250 3/1966 Broadwin 259-72 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. L. BLEUTGE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SMALL ARTICLE WASHER THE COMBINATION WITH AN OPEN TO CASING HAVING A TRANSVERSE BOTTOM AND AN ENCOMPASSING SIDEWALL, AND TRAY SUPPORTED IN SAID CASING BY SUPPORTING SPRING MEANS FOR VIBRATION THEREIN WITH SAID TRAY HAVING AN ENCOMPASSING SIDEWALL DEFINING A NESTING CAVITY; OF (A) AN ELECTRIC MOTOR MOUNTED IN SAID CASING AND HAVING A ROTOT SHAFT, (B) AN ARM EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF AND FIXED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION BY THE LATTER ADJACENT A PORTION OF THE TRAY SIDEWALL FOR VIBRATING SAID TRAY, (C) A WASHING TANK REMOVABLY NESTED IN SAID TRAY FOR VIBRATION WITH THE LATTER, (D) A BATTERY COMPARTMENT IN SAID CASING HOUSING A BATTERY SOURCE OF POWER FOR SAID MOTOR, (E) AN ELECTRICAL POWER-SUPPLY CIRCUIT CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID MOTOR AND SAID BATTERY SOURCE OF POWER, AND (F) A SWITCH IN SAID CIRCUIT HAVING DEPRESSIBLE OPERATING MEANS EXPOSED AT THE TOP OF SAID CASING LATERALLY OF SAID TRAY FOR MANUAL ENGAGEMENT. 